Finally!!!

Posted on by July 15, 2025

The question is, will it even make it through acceptance trials???

Shipbuilder Austal USA delivered the final Independence-class littoral combat ship to the U.S. Navy on Friday, marking the end of a construction phase that’s lasted 15 years.

The Alabama-based Austal has built a total of 19 Independence-class littoral combat ships for the service. The first, the Independence, was commissioned in 2010. The final ship will be christened as the Pierre, named after the capital of South Dakota.

Full article, HERE from Navy Times.

Good riddance! The Little Crappy Ships never lived up to their ‘billing’… They were supposedly for littoral work, and replacement for the PC and Hydrofoil boats, both of which actually worked!!! Sigh…

The ‘modules’ we were supposed to build for them didn’t work, were manpower intensive, took more people than allowed, and didn’t FIT on the ship.

Which, OBTW, had NO self defense capability. And when running at speed, went through fuel faster than anything else in the Fleet. And when they did get sent out ‘with the Fleet’, a tanker had to be attached to keep fueling them.

And don’t get me started on maintenance! The crews were so small they could NOT do their own maintenance, so the contractors had to fly civilian maintenance personnel all over the world to fix them. At one point, the Navy was switching out crews every six weeks, due to ‘burnout’ of personnel. VERY costly to fly folks from San Diego to…Singapore!

And the fixes weren’t cheap or easy. Oh, and they had a tendency to get the ‘blue screen of death’ on their fancy computer systems, leaving them dead in the water (DIW) where ever they happened to be, including one case in the middle of the Pacific! And the small crews couldn’t do damage control, much less routine maintenance since they were basically watch and watch on duty.

Those things also cost some good officers their careers, as they tried to fix the problems… but couldn’t!

So yes, good riddance! And hand salute to the crews that did their best with what they had. I’m sure THEY will be glad to get back to the REAL Navy.

This just gets…

Posted on by July 14, 2025

Uglier and uglier… And this hasn’t even got to the EOs yet…

I’m not sure who thought it was a good idea for Joe Biden to do an interview with the New York Times about the autopen scandal, but it happened, and boy, was it a mistake. While defending his controversial use of an autopen machine for mass clemency decisions, Biden boldly claimed he “made every decision” on his own. 

We cannot understate the scale of Biden’s clemency actions. In what the White House trumpeted as “the largest single-day act of clemency by a U.S. president,” Biden granted pardons and commutations to more than 1,500 individuals during his final weeks in office. This wasn’t some routine administrative task; this was an unprecedented exercise of presidential power.

But here’s where Biden’s characterization falls apart completely. Buried in the very same report is evidence that completely undermines his claim — evidence that should alarm every American who values transparency and accountability in government. The Times report explicitly states that Biden “did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people.” 

Instead, the report reveals that he merely “signed off on the standards he wanted to be used to determine which convicts would qualify for a reduction in sentence.” 

Full article, HERE from PJ Media.

Soooooo, the ‘staff’ made the decisions and authorized the autopen… Did I read that right? If so, other than the ‘wet ink’ pardon of Hunter, are ANY of the pardons legal?

If so, what did they do for the EOs???

The mind doth boggle…

A little humor…

Posted on by July 13, 2025

To start the week…

I have kleptomania, But when it gets bad, I take something for it.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS! Except that one where you’re naked in church.

Sometimes too much to drink isn’t enough.

Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole chicken.

Heaven is Where:

The Police are British, The Chefs are Italian, The Mechanics are German, The Lovers are French and It’s all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is Where:

The Police are German, The Chefs are British, The Mechanics are French, The Lovers are Swiss and It’s all organized by the Italians.

Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!

My short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to be.  Also, my short-term memory’s not as sharp as it used to be.

Welcome to Utah… Set your watch back 20 years.

In just two days from now, Tomorrow will be yesterday.

A bartender is just a pharmacist With a limited inventory

The statement below is true.

The statement above is false.

I may be schizophrenic, But at least I have each other.

I am a Nobody. Nobody is Perfect. Therefore, I am Perfect.

KENTUCKY:

Five million people, Fifteen last names.

I’m not your type. I’m not inflatable.

Dyslexics Have More Nuf.

In Memoriam

With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last week.   Larry LaPrise, the man who wrote “The Hokey Pokey”, died peacefully at age 93.   The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin.  They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started.

I LOVE COOKING WITH WINE. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Preserve the Spotted Owl (in formaldehyde)

When you work here, You can name your own salary.  I named mine, “Fred”.

Money isn’t everything, But it sure keeps the kids in touch.

Reality is only an illusion, that occurs due to a lack of alcohol.

I like cats too. Let’s exchange recipes.

Red meat is not bad for you, fuzzy green meat is bad for you.

I am having an out-of-money experience.

As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife’s voice urgently warning him, “Herman, I just heard on the news that there’s a car going the wrong way on 280 Interstate. Please be careful!”

“It’s not just one car,” said Herman. “It’s hundreds of them!”

Don’t sweat the petty things. Don’t pet the sweaty things.

Corduroy pillows are making headlines!

I FOUND JESUS! He was in my trunk when I got back from Tijuana.

And remember…

Your inspirational message for Monday is…Don’t piss off the guy with 5000 acres and a backhoe!

Class act!!!

Posted on by July 12, 2025

It appears the new Pope, Leo XIV, really IS a Chicago White Sox fan!

In a reversal of roles, a fan has signed a jersey for a pro athlete. 

Pope Leo XIV had a signed jersey delivered to former Chicago White Sox great Paul Konerko. 

Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich presented Konerko a jersey with the new pontiff’s signature on the back during a ceremony before a game against the Cleveland Guardians. It had the six-time All-Star’s last name and “Pope Leo” above the No. 14.

Full article, HERE from Fox News. And the story from the Chicago Tribune, HERE.

I don’t know about anybody else, but I think that is a pretty neat gesture, and shows the Pope still has a sense of humor! And still likes the White Sox!

I don’t follow baseball anymore, but I don’t think even the Pope can help them this year… They are 27 games out of 1st in their division, and winning less than 50% of their games right now…

Sigh…

Boy, talk about ratholed…

Posted on by July 11, 2025

This one went from ‘mainstream’ to archived in 3 days…

Some of the democracy-building experts President Donald Trump fired this year from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department are now reapplying the skills and knowledge they built up over decades to undermine Trump’s power.
For years, these officials were stationed across the globe actively supporting opposition movements in autocratic nations. Now they’ve got time, a network of former colleagues and a growing sense of moral indignation.
“Take it from those of us who worked in authoritarian countries: We’ve become one,” said a currently employed federal official, who spoke to NOTUS on condition of anonymity. “They were so quick to disband AID, the group that supposedly instigates color revolutions. But they’ve done a very foolish thing. You just released a bunch of well-trained individuals into your population. If you kept our offices going and had us play solitaire in the office, it might have been safer to keep your regime.”

Full article, HERE from Archive Today, original notus.org

I have no words… sigh… This smacks of mutiny at best, and I don’t know what the worst might be, but I really wonder who’s side these people are on?

It’s obvious they are NOT on the American people’s side!

TGIF…

Posted on by July 10, 2025

I got nothing, so you get random stuff…

Oh yeah, a new Raconteur Press antho is out! Vice Noir

As always click the cover for the Amazon link!

The blurb-

When we opened the call for Vice Noir, I wrote:
“The protagonist I am looking for in Vice Noir is a little different than the standard noir central character. Your standard noir detective knows the abyss and has armoured himself against it. He fights monsters, because someone has to, and his moral code demands that someone stand in the breach. His moral code is more externally focused: ‘Someone has to do it.’ The Vice Noir protagonist, on the other hand, has looked into the abyss … and the abyss winked. He lives in the bright sunshine, among pretty people — because the night, the alleys, and the adrenaline are way too attractive, too addictive, too comfortable … and he knows it. He is Sonny Crockett, living on a yacht with a gator named Elvis; he is Fiddler, in his beach cottage, with his lime tree, and his koi; both of them trying to build up the antibodies before the abyss whispers, and they leap headlong. Again.”

Of the forty stories I received, I had to pick ten that conveyed the spirit I was looking for; and I’m not going to lie – it was damned difficult doing so.

I hope this selection hits the right notes. If it does, that’s all on the authors. If not, that’s all on me.

Buckle up, gentle readers. Grab your Ray-Bans, fire up your 1980s pop hits, and get ready to smile back when the teeth come out.

I give you: Vice Noir.

And I have a story in this one, I’ll be curious as to what you think of it…

In other ‘news’ h/t to Gerry for this one. I knew we didn’t put ‘many’ people on the moon, but dang… And those who got to circle it made it even worse…

And last but not least, a little humor…

Enjoy your weekend, and stay safe folks…

This is NOT right…

Posted on by July 9, 2025

I will admit I don’t follow music/musicians anymore because of hearing loss, and never really paid attention to yet another Hall of Fame. I knew who I liked, and didn’t care about awards, etc…

There’s something off about applause that arrives 30 years too late.

This year, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will finally open its glitzy doors to Cyndi Lauper. And yes, the girl who just wanted to have fun earned it. No question. You could argue she should’ve been inducted before now, and you’d be right. But her long-overdue invitation isn’t the only story.

While cameras will flash, and industry types will slap backs and nod as if they saw it coming, there’s an ugly truth hiding in the lights: some of the greatest women in music history still haven’t made it into the Hall. Not because they lacked talent. Not because they lacked influence. But because the Rock Hall has a long, slow habit of forgetting the very women who built the foundation beneath its stage.

Full article, HERE from PJ Media.

When you read the article, and look at who is NOT there based on their music, or how long it took for them to get there, it becomes obvious they are slow rolling the women… ALL the women…

Much like the record labels took advantage of the bands over the years, and the continuing ‘scuffles’ over royalties/contract payments/ASCAP fees, etc. This is, to me, just one more money grab at the top levels, and to hell with the artists…

Grrrr…

Above the law???

Posted on by July 8, 2025

I think not…

Like neon lights in the fog, five words we’ve seen and heard everywhere, along with the self-righteous posts:

“Nobody is above the law!”

We heard those five words more than we heard “Good morning” or “Have a nice day.” 

They echoed from tote bags, blared across chyrons, and rang out in chants from crowds cheering FBI raids on pro-life activists and conservative school board members—repeated so often that we began to believe they meant what they said.

However, when progressive Milwaukee Judge, County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan helped a man here illegally slip out the side door with hopes of dodging ICE like a rabbit outrunning a cheetah, those five very sacred words vanished.

Suddenly, without a preamble, those five words were replaced by:

“She was acting in her official capacity.”

Full article, HERE from PJ Media.

Interestingly, a federal magistrate has recommended the case go forward, HERE.  Magistrate Joseph said, “A judge’s actions, even when done in her official capacity, does not bar criminal prosecution if the actions were done in violation of the criminal law.”

Funny how the shoe is on the ‘other’ foot and suddenly those words aren’t applicable…

Personally, I’m glad to see it, as had it been one of us peons, we’d already be in jail for breaking the law. I did notice this pretty much disappeared from the MSM in a big hurry, and really hasn’t had any ‘in depth’ coverage.

So, now we wait… and hope…

This…

Posted on by July 7, 2025

Is double plus ungood…

The next Ford-class aircraft carrier is facing a two-year delay that will leave the Navy with ten carriers for about a year, USNI News has learned.

The future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) will now deliver in March 2027, according to the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget justification documents. The carrier was supposed to deliver this month, according to last year’s budget plans.

“The CVN 79 delivery date shifted from July 2025 to March 2027 (preliminary acceptance TBD) to support completion of Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) certification and continued Advanced Weapons Elevator (AWE) work,” reads the latest FY 2026 shipbuilding budget book.

Those two technologies – the system used to catch aircraft landing on the carrier’s deck and the weapons elevators that move ordnance through the ship – are new systems incorporated into the Ford class. A spokesperson for General Atomics, which makes the AAG, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Ford was two years late, not delivering until 2017, and did not deploy until 2023, six years later! This was due to numerous ‘problems’ with new systems and the plumbing on the ship…

I can see the same thing happening with the Kennedy. So effectively, the USA will be down a carrier (actually down three from the 13 we need to maintain OPTEMPO/PERSTEMPO), not for just a year, but potentially for seven years…

When you add in the ‘tensions’ in the world right now, and the fact that more and more countries are getting well ahead of us in not only shipbuilding, but in total numbers of Navy ships, this does not bode well for the Navy’s mission of freedom of the seas and freedom for commerce at sea.

China for one, is pushing to kick the Navy outside the ‘first island chain’, e.g. out of Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. And they are determined to claim everything inside the infamous 9 dash line as Chinese property…

The US Navy, along with other NATO, Australian, and New Zealand navies routinely do FONs (freedom of navigation) between Taiwan and China, and down through the SCS to Brunei, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

USS Nimitz just did a ‘speed run’ to get to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf area. If they had not been able to ‘cut the corner’ as it were, that would have added roughly a week to the trip.

And being down another carrier will put a lot of stress on the remaining ships, crews, and the small boys that accompany them…

Sigh…

A little humor…

Posted on by July 6, 2025

To start the week!

Q: Where can single men over the age of 60 find younger women who are
interested in them?
A: Try a bookstore,  under Fiction.

Q: What can a man do while his wife is  going through menopause?
A: Keep busy. If you’re  handy with tools, you can finish the basement.
When you’re done, you  will have a place to live.

Q: Someone has told me  that menopause is mentioned in the bible… Is
that true? Where can it be found?
A: Yes. Matthew 14:92: “And Mary rode Joseph’s ass all the way to Egypt …”

Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your over-60 year-old  husband?
A: Tell him you’re pregnant.

Q: How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly  wrinkles?
A: Take off your glasses.

Q: Seriously! What can I do for these crow’s feet and all those
wrinkles on my face?
A: Go braless. It will  usually pull them out..

Q: Why should 60-plus year  old people use valet parking?
A: Valets don’t forget  where they park your car.

Q: Is it common for 60-plus  year olds to have problems with short term
memory storage?
A: Storing memory is not a problem, Retrieving it is the  problem.

Q: As people age, do they sleep more  soundly?
A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon.

Q: Where should 60-plus year olds look for eye  glasses?
A: On their foreheads.

Q: What is the most common remark made by 60-plus year olds when they
enter antique stores?
A: “Gosh, I remember these!”

And a bonus one…

The graveside service just barely  finished, when there was massive clap of thunder, followed by a  tremendous bolt of lightning, accompanied by even more thunder  rumbling in the distance…

The little old man looked at the pastor  and calmly said, ‘Well, she’s there…